Teen sentenced to 10 years for August purse snatching

Mikeem Daniel, 17, of Haywood City, Mo., received a 10-year sentence Monday for second-degree robbery for a purse snatching that occurred at the Cape Girardeau waterfront last year.

The robbery occurred around 7:15 p.m. Aug. 23 when the female victim was walking along the water side of the floodwall.

Daniel and a juvenile approached her and began making casual conversation about one of the murals on the floodwall.

When the victim turned to leave, Daniel struck her on the side of the head and grabbed her purse. The two took off, and the victim suffered a large laceration by her left eye, and her face was badly swollen.

On Aug. 29, police learned Daniel had told a woman he planned to go rob someone. The victim later picked Daniel out of a sequential photo lineup.

Daniel pleaded guilty in April.

The range of punishment for the offense of second-degree robbery, a class B felony, is five to 15 years.

At the sentencing hearing, an impact statement from the victim said that she used to be "sort of carefree," but the attack had made her fearful and mistrusting, according to a news release from Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle.

She said she'd driven near the floodwall several times trying to overcome her apprehension but could not bring herself to leave her car. She also said she avoided the downtown area.

bdicosmo@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 245